On your journey to discover your ancestors, you come across many different record types. And out of all those records few are as significant as census records. They are the backbone of genealogy research.
In this blog post, I’ll explain three reasons census records are important and a look at an ancestral couple of mine.
A Glimpse Back To A Moment In Time
Census records provide a snapshot of individuals and families during specific years. They capture valuable information such as names, ages, occupations, relationships, and sometimes even details like birthplaces and marital status.
By analyzing these records, you can transport yourself back to a particular moment in history, finding out what it was like for your ancestors to live in that place and time. You can also see who lived in their neighborhood, perhaps family members or close associates.
- Discover who your ancestors lived next to and interacted with daily.
- Find out if your ancestors lived in multi-generational households or with extended family.
- Did family or extended family live nearby?
- Explore the diversity of your ancestors’ communities.
- Identify any notable figures or interesting characters that lived nearby.
Migrations Patterns
Census records often document the movement of families and individuals over time. Tracking changes in where they lived across multiple census years can help identify migration patterns. This information is invaluable in our genealogy research for understanding how and why ancestors moved.
Analyzing migration patterns can also lead to the discovery of previously unknown connections between family members and reveal a bigger story than what we knew.
- Trace the routes your ancestors took as they moved from place to place.
- Understand the economic or social conditions that prompted your ancestors to relocate.
- Discover patterns, such as moving towards urban centers for work or rural areas for farming.
- Connect with distant relatives who might have migrated along the same paths.
Giving Context
Census records go beyond just names and ages. They also tell us about what our ancestors did for a living, how much education they had, and whether they owned property. This information helps us get a clearer picture of their lives.
- Learn about the industries and trades your ancestors were involved in.
- Discover the educational opportunities available in their time and location.
- Gain knowledge into your ancestors’ social and economic standing.
- Understand the lifestyle and daily challenges they might have faced.
My 2x Great-Grandparents – Andrew Bothel and Susanna Krewson
I’ve been writing about Susanna Krewson Bothel, my 2x great-grandmother, in my ProGen Study Group assignments as the Krewson line has been my focus for the last few months. The Krewson surname is on my dad’s mother’s side of the family and first appears through the marriage of Susanna Krewson and Andrew Bothel.
Marriage record from the original Bucks County register1:
If you’re having fun with the handwriting, it reads: “At Newtown, on Thursday evening the 26th of August 1847, Andrew Bothel to Susanna Krewsen, daughter of Mr. John Krewsen, and all of Newtown Bucks Co. Pa. 35 cts. Returned till better off!”
Read that last part again…”35 cts [cents] – Returned till better off!” Most couples were paying about $2 to get married. Andrew and Susanna were so poor they paid 35 cents and had it returned to them.
1850 Census
They first appear as a family in the 1850 census when Andrew and Susanna reside in Northampton Township, Bucks County (next to Newtown). His occupation… a farmer. He didn’t own land, but being surrounded by men who owned a lot of it, he likely worked for one of them. They had two sons at this point, Alexander age 3, and Charles age 1.
1860 Census
In 1860 the family was located in Wrightstown Township and Andrew was a day laborer. Each time they moved it wasn’t very far, but perhaps it was to where Andrew could find work.
They added three more children, Samuel age 8, Mary Jane age 6, and Frank age 3 (my great-grandfather). But where were Alexander and Charles? They were no longer with the rest of the family. [The quality of this census record is poor and would not show up well.]
Charles lived with a man named John Tomlinson, Jr. in Northampton Township. The census record says he was a “taken boy.”
While it’s difficult to find a true definition of what this means, it seems to be a regional term meaning a child taken from a poor family to live and work elsewhere for room and board. Alexander also seemed to be in that same situation, although the census record for him in 1860 is so faint, it’s only a guess.
1870 Census
In 1870 the family was finally back together again in Cecil County, Maryland, about 100 miles away from Bucks County.
Andrew was a farm tenant and his sons Alexander and Charles were farm workers. Andrew still owned no land, but the value of his personal estate had increased from $150 in 1860 to $1200.
1880 Census
After another 10 years, Andrew was still a farmer in 1880 in Rising Sun, Cecil, Maryland with Frank in the house as a farmer and Charles living right next door with his wife and children. I can’t find any records showing Andrew ever owned land. As I travel I95 every week, I drive right past the exit for Rising Sun. Perhaps I can see the land he worked (or at least I’d like to think so).
Andrew’s Death and Update
Andrew Bothel died on 1 May 1881 in Rising Sun. According to Find A Grave his grave is located in Cecil County, Maryland, but later moved to Chester County, Pennsylvania.5 That’s a mystery just begging to be solved. Susanna’s death date is still unknown to me.
Update: I obtained Andrew’s military service record from the Civil War. Update. You can read about it here.
Finally
Genealogy research always includes census records, but I hope you see the enormous value in analyzing them thoroughly. There is so much value to census records and they are often the stepping stone to discovering other record sets.
Genealogy Tip: Census records are critical to your genealogy research. Try and find your ancestor in every census throughout their life and be sure to scour the few pages before and after. Do you see surnames you recognize? If it’s been awhile since you’ve found them, take another look. You often find things you missed the first time around.
What’s your latest genealogy research project? I’d love to help. Click below to get started.
1 “U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970,” database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61048/ : accessed 2 Jul 2022), Pennsylvania > Newtown > Presbyterian Church > Baptisms, Births, Marriages, Deaths > 1838-1888, image 128 of 224, Marriage Record #74 for Susanna Krewson and Andrew Bothell; citing Church Registers, Presbyterian Historical Society.
2 1850 U.S. census, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Northampton Township, p. 81b, dwelling 12, family 14, Andrew Bodle household; image Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8054/images/4191082-00170?pId=568379: accessed 30 October 2022); citing National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 759.
3 1860 U.S. census, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Northampton Township, p. 452 (stamped), dwelling 164, family 165, Charles Bodle in John Tomlinson Jr. household; digital image Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7667/images/4288516_00029?pId=1679652: accessed 30 October 2022); citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 1083.
4 1870 U.S. census, Cecil County, Maryland, population schedule, Rock Spring Post Office, p. 36 (penned), dwelling 246, family 246, Andrew Bothell; digital image Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7163/images/4269471_00633?pId=23451441: accessed 30 October 2022), image 36 of 36; NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 583.
5 Ancestry, Find A Grave, database with images (www.findagrave.com: accessed 30 October 2022), memorial 80556544, Andrew Bothell (1826-1881), created by Johnny Mac, Union Cemetery, Nottingham, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
